Husband, 74, Walks Many Miles Daily To Find Wife Kidney

In the song “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by the Proclaimers, the band members say they would, “walk 500 miles and…walk 500 more just to be the man who walks a thousand miles to fall down at your door.” It is highly doubtful that the Scottish twins that make up the band have actually made good on this promise. However, there is one Utah native who is legitimately walking miles and miles for his wife.

Wayne Winters is a 74-year-old who is on a mission. His wife “has stage 5 kidney failure. She’s on dialysis and she doesn’t like it. It’s horrible,” Winters says. So he took to the streets, wearing a sign that says, “Need Kidney 4 Wife,” along with contact info and her blood type, A negative. “I don’t walk real fast,” Winters admitted, but he “felt like [he] needed to do something.” It is understandable, as they have been married for 26 years and are still very close.

In 2012, Larry Swilling, another man in a similar situation, came up with the walking sign idea that inspired Wayne to do the same. Swilling did, in fact, get a kidney for his wife using this method. So there is a lot of hope for Wayne. What’s even better is that on day one of the walking journey, Winters heard from a man who may be able to help.

However, Winters won’t quit until his wife is better. Even if they find a kidney, there are so many people who need kidneys; there is a waiting list of at least 97,000 people.

The dedicated husband has made it his new “life mission” to find a kidney for his wife, so she can get back to how she was: “normal, helping people, loving people.” Hopefully, a generous person with the right blood type will step up to the plate soon.